Bioactivity, mechanical properties and drug delivery ability of bioactive glass-ceramic scaffolds coated with a natural-derived polymer

•Synthesis of multifunctional hybrid glass-ceramic/polymer scaffolds•Glass-ceramic scaffolds were coated with melanin, a natural derived polymer•Scaffolds were loaded with ibuprofen using supercritical CO2 technology•Scaffolds exhibited an accelerated bioactivity and enhanced mechanical strength•Scaffolds showed a local drug delivery ability

In this work, hybrid melanin-coated bioactive glass-ceramic multifunctional scaffolds were developed and characterized in terms of mechanical strength, in vitro bioactivity in simulated body fluid (SBF) and ability to load ibuprofen. The coated scaffolds exhibited an accelerated bioactivity in comparison with the uncoated ones, being able of developing hydroxyapatite-like crystals after 7 days soaking in simulated body fluid (SBF). Besides its positive influence on the scaffolds bioactivity, the melanin coating was able to enhance their mechanical properties, increasing the initial compressive strength by a factor of > 2.5. Furthermore, ibuprofen was successfully loaded on this coating, allowing a controlled drug release of the anti-inflammatory agent.